Media house, online, and print magazine publisher CIO Africa has merged with The Rebel Element to form a new institution named dx5.
The development means that CIO Africa and The Rebel Element are no more.
CIO Africa is known in Kenya for its November fair that recognized the best CIOs in the tech industry.
According to a statement from the new company, the merger has been fueled by the more than a two-year period of the pandemic that saw the rise of technology. At the same time, the world has generally witnessed the upsurge of tech communities.
The merger unites Kelly Bentley now CEO of dx⁵, Gill Bowmaker, Co-Founder & COO of The Rebel Element turned COO dx⁵, Harry Hare, Chairman & Publisher of CIO Africa now Chairman & Content Director dx⁵ and Andrew Karanja, Co-Founder and Director of CIO Africa now Chief Learning & People Officer, dx⁵.
“Our greatest assets are our people and as a merged entity we are now able to offer enhanced experience and skill to our stakeholder community. With a shared vision to connect African changemakers underpinned by technology and ignite business growth. By joining forces, we will be able to play a larger role in accelerating connections and ultimately digital transformation across the continent and beyond,” said Kelly Bentley, Co-Founder & CEO of The Rebel Element.
“We go forward under a new company name and brand which has been designed around digital transformation (dx) to the power of 5 – these 5 pillars being our teams, our customers, our partners, our community, and our shareholders,” said Bentley.
“Over the next few weeks, we will continue to communicate what dx⁵ means for our stakeholders, outlining the increased value going forward including deeper and more strategic offering for our clients, our expanded geographic reach, and of course, the combined team we now have taken care of our clients, partners, and community,” she concludes.
The directors share a personal history as long-time partners working frequently on previous projects.
The union will now have dual bases in South Africa and Kenya along with teams in the United Kingdom, SADC, North Africa, and West Africa.
